"There is no pressure on us": Shifnal Town feeling good for trip to leaders - non-league previews

Connor Patterson's side have been flying following promotion from the Midland Premier last season and sit third in the table following last weekend's 3-2 triumph over Kidsgrove Athletic.

Tomorrow (3pm), they have one of their toughest tests yet as they head to leaders Lower Breck hoping to bridge a five-point gap to the summit.

"We know it's going to be a tough game, but there is no pressure on us," said boss Connor Patterson ."We are chasing them - if we win, we are clawing points back on them."

It is the start of a crucial run into the festive period, with the game at the leaders followed seven days later by a home clash against big-boys Bury and then a trip to play-off-chasing Atherton Collieries.

To go from Midland Premier play-off winners to Northern One West promotion-chasers has been 'incredible' - but has still come as little surprise to Patterson.

"The lads I had at the club last year, I always backed them to be able to compete and do a job at this level," he said. "But the way we have been playing and the run we have been on has been incredible."

Whitchurch Alport will be looking to arrest their slide down the Midland Premier table when they travel to Stone Old Alleynians.

Alport have not had a game for two weeks and no league win in two months to slip to 11th - and visit a Stone side just three places and three points behind them in the table.

AFC Bridgnorth boss Jack Griffiths is looking outside the camp for a solution to AFC Bridgnorth’s defensive issues. 

Griffiths has been frustrated by his side’s inability to defend set-pieces and is hoping to add some experience to his back line in time for tomorrow's Midland One clash at home to Stapenhill.

"We can't defend set-pieces and it's quite annoying at the minute,” said Griffiths. "We are looking for an older head to come and help us out and we are in talks with a centre-half.

“We definitely need some experience at the back to shore us up a bit and help us stop conceding goals. Hopefully it will happen before the weekend, we have a meeting with him planned this week.

"We need someone is going to lead from the back. The lads give everything but we just need that older head to help keep us calm.

"We can't keep dropping points. We have dropped 12 points from leading positions and that has absolutely killed us.”

Telford Town travel to Shawbury United in a North West Counties League Division One South Shropshire derby.

Telford are hoping to close the gap to leaders Runcorn Town, who are just starting to open up a clear advantage at the top, while third-bottom Shawbury will hope to drag some of the sides above them back towards the relegation zone.

Elsewhere, Allscott Heath host New Mills, second-bottom Haughmond go to second-top Eccleshall and Market Drayton Town host Barnton after securing the statement return signing of Sam Finney from higher-division Hanley Town. 

Finney spent last season with the Gingerbread Men as one of Dawson's key signings when the boss moved from Redgate Clayton in the summer of 2024.

He scored once and registered seven assists in 20 appearances – 13 of which were starts – for Hanley but has opted to reunite with North West Counties First Division South outfit Town.

And in Hellenic League Division One, Ludlow Town boss Sean Evans is hoping for a welcome selection boost this weekend. 

​Evans has been battling availability issues all season and has yet to field the same starting XI for consecutive matches.

Added to that, Kieran Dovey, Josh Bull, Reece Williams and Connor Davies Austin have been enticed away from Bromfield Road.

Ludlow host high-flying Redditch Borough tomorrow and Evans is hopeful that Jack Dwyer, George Crump, Harry Morris and Charlie Cent will return to the ranks having missed last weekend’s 3-1 defeat at home to Hellenic League Division One leaders Bewdley Town, which extended their run without a league win to six. 

"It’s a bit of a sombre atmosphere at the moment, but we will keep going," said Evans. "The lads that are here are aware of the situation we are in."